This Halloween, your makeup is the costume.
Forget hunting for the perfect outfit—this year's most show-stopping looks start with what you can create on your face.
From pop culture icons to classic horror glam, we've rounded up the makeup moments that are about to dominate every party, feed, and trick-or-treat outing.
Whether you're team scary or team stunning, there's a look here that'll have people asking for your handle.
And the best part? Most of these require minimal products but deliver maximum impact.
Ready to become the main character of Halloween 2025?
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Halloween makeup ideas: What everyone's creating
Wicked mania takes center stage
With Wicked: For Good dropping in November, Elphaba's green skin and Glinda's pink glam are everywhere.
The movie's makeup department shared exact techniques, which means you can recreate Cynthia Erivo's dramatic green contour or Ariana Grande's soft pink aesthetic.
If you can contour in your shade, you can do it in green—it's that simple.
What you need: Green face paint or eyeshadow for Elphaba's skin, dramatic black liner for definition, pink glitter and soft glam shades for Glinda.
Chappell Roan's drag-inspired moment
The year's breakout pop star brings theatrical drag energy to every look.
Think ultra-thin brows, super light base, bold bright eyeshadow, and ruby red lips.
Her Pink Pony Club aesthetic translates perfectly to Halloween—it's instantly recognizable and celebrates the art of transformation.
What you need: White face paint base, colorful eyeshadow palette, thin brow pencil, bold red lipstick, exaggerated blush.
Sugar skull gets a glam upgrade
Traditional Dia de los Muertos makeup meets modern beauty trends.
Instead of full skeleton paint, this year's sugar skulls feature bronzed contour, holographic accents, and intricate floral details.
It's basically elevated contouring with a few artistic flourishes—accessible but stunning.
What you need: Contour palette, black eyeliner for details, colorful eyeshadow, floral face stickers or painting skills, setting spray.
Corpse bride beauty
Tim Burton's aesthetic never goes out of style.
Blue-tinted skin, dramatic dark eyes, and romantic Victorian vibes create a look that's both spooky and beautiful.
The key is balancing the eerie pale blue base with traditionally pretty elements like long lashes and defined features.
What you need: Blue face paint or mixing medium, dark eyeshadow, dramatic false lashes, stitching details with black liner.
Easy halloween makeup: Looks you can master
Glow-in-the-dark skeleton
Skip traditional black-and-white skulls and go neon.
Paint skeleton lines with regular face paint, then add white paint in the centers for dimension.
For actual glow effect, use UV-reactive paint that illuminates under blacklight. It's simpler than it looks and photographs incredibly well.
The technique: Draw bold skeleton lines first, let dry, then add white highlights down the center of each line for a 3D effect.
Wednesday Addams gothic simplicity
Netflix's Wednesday made this look even more iconic. All-black outfit, pale skin, smudged black liner, dark plum or black lips.
The makeup is intentionally simple—the vibe does all the work. Start with a warm brown blended on top and bottom lash lines, then layer black on top.
Pro tip: MAC Lip Pencil in Nightmoth mixed with clear balm gives that perfect goth pout.
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Spider glam
Create spider-inspired lashes using dramatic false lashes as the body and black eyeliner for the "legs."
Alternatively, use spider eyeshadow stickers for instant impact. It's scary, sexy, and takes about 10 minutes.
Quick version: Apply lush false lashes, draw thin lines extending from the lash base with liquid liner.
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Graphic liner moments
Perfect for anyone who loves makeup but doesn't want full face paint.
Bold graphic eyeliner in fun shapes—hearts, stars, geometric patterns—becomes your entire look. Pair with a monochrome outfit and you're done.
Trending shapes: Butterfly wings, comic book outlines, retro 60s designs, abstract art-inspired lines.
Halloween makeup trends: What's actually hot right now
Pop culture icons dominate
This year is all about recognizable references. Taylor Swift's Life of a Showgirl glam, Sabrina Carpenter's aesthetic, Addison Rae's VMAs moment—if it went viral, someone's recreating it for Halloween.
Taylor's showgirl look: Old Hollywood glam with bold red lips, dramatic lashes, sparkle everywhere. Channel burlesque energy with exaggerated features.
Charli XCX's brat energy: Smudged smokey eyes, lived-in makeup, neutral faded lips. The anti-polished aesthetic that somehow looks effortlessly cool.
Euphoria-inspired rhinestone glam
The show's influence on makeup continues. Holographic eyeshadow, graphic liner, and rhinestone placement create festival-meets-Halloween vibes. It's glamorous, edgy, and works whether you're going for character accuracy or just want sparkly drama.
Signature elements: Colorful rhinestones around eyes, holographic shimmer, bold graphic shapes, fearless color combinations.
Vampires get glamorous
Forget traditional scary vampires—2025's bloodsuckers are high-fashion. Pale contoured skin, blood-red lips, dramatic lashes, and strategically placed "blood" create elegance with an edge. Red contacts intensify the effect but aren't necessary.
The glow-up: Use sharp contouring for gaunt features, add shimmer to look otherworldly rather than dead, make dripping blood look artistic rather than gory.
Half-face illusions
Split your face into contrasting looks—half glam, half skull; half mermaid, half skeleton; half beauty, half beast. These designs photograph incredibly well and let you showcase range in a single look.
Popular combinations: Glam face + skull, mermaid + gore, human + cyborg, beauty + monster.
Halloween makeup ideas for 2025: Character-driven looks
Harley Quinn chaos
Red and blue smudged eyeshadow, bold lips, and that signature chaotic energy. You can go cartoonish or gritty depending on your vibe—both work. The messy application is actually part of the aesthetic, making it more forgiving for beginners.
The formula: Smudge red on one eye, blue on the other, blend them together in the center, add black for depth.
Barbie glam (but make it spooky)
Last year's Barbie trend isn't dead—it's just getting a Halloween twist. Think zombie Barbie or weird Barbie with exaggerated features. Pink, glossy, playful, but with an unsettling edge.
Weird Barbie approach: Use bright primary-color eyeliners to create marker-like designs on the face, embrace imperfect application.
K-Pop Demon Hunters energy
The breakout Netflix show offers bold street style with colorful makeup. Perfect for groups who want to coordinate without matching exactly. Big on color, drama, and attitude.
What makes it work: Vibrant eyeshadow, strong brows, glossy lips, fierce attitude. No costume needed when the makeup is this bold.
Classic horror gets elevated
Freddy Krueger, Jason, Pennywise—the icons are back but with better technique. Modern SFX products make realistic burns, scars, and textures achievable at home. Even beginner-friendly versions look impressive.
Upgrade traditional looks: Add dimension with highlighting and contouring, use realistic blood products instead of paint, incorporate prosthetics for next-level realism.
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Simple halloween makeup: Minimal effort, maximum impact
Cat makeup reimagined
Move beyond basic whiskers. This year's cat looks range from glamorous Catwoman with sleek liner "masks" to pink leopard print to full creature transformation. The beauty is in the versatility.
Quick glam cat: Create winged liner extending into a mask shape, add a subtle nose contour, keep everything else fierce.
Fairy fantasy
Whimsical and colorful without being scary. Use greens, purples, and golds with butterfly accents and rhinestones. Achievable with everyday eyeshadow palettes plus some face gems.
Easy fairy formula: Colorful eyeshadow blended generously, stick-on butterfly accents, lots of shimmer and glitter, ethereal vibe.
Pop art comic
Draw black outlines around your features and add colorful dots to mimic comic-style printing. Instantly recognizable, surprisingly simple, works with basic clothing.
The technique: Use black liner to outline features dramatically, add Ben-Day dots with a sponge or tool, include a speech bubble if feeling ambitious.
Devil with a twist
Red face paint or eyeshadow as contour, bold eyeliner, glossy red lips, add horns. It's a Halloween staple that never fails, and you can make it as subtle or dramatic as you want.
Glam devil approach: Use red eyeshadow to contour rather than full face paint, keep skin otherwise normal, add red accents strategically.
Making your Halloween makeup last
You've created the perfect look—now make sure it survives the whole night. Here's how to keep your makeup photo-ready from sunset to sunrise:
Prep properly: Start with clean, moisturized skin. Use primer designed for the type of products you're applying—face paint needs different prep than regular makeup.
Set everything: Translucent powder over cream products, setting spray over everything. For face paint, use a product specifically designed to seal theatrical makeup.
Waterproof when possible: Choose waterproof mascara, eyeliner, and base products. They'll resist sweat, drinks, and whatever else the night brings.
Touch-up strategy: Carry a small kit with your key products—setting spray, powder, main lip color, eyeliner. Quick fixes keep you looking fresh all night.
Safe removal: Use proper makeup remover, not soap and water. Face paint especially needs oil-based removers or micellar water. Always moisturize after.
Photo-ready Halloween makeup
The makeup is just the start—making it photograph well is equally important. Whether you're capturing content for social media or just want great pics for memories, these techniques help:
Lighting matters: Harsh overhead lighting creates shadows that distort your carefully crafted features. Seek natural light when possible, or use ring lights for even illumination.
Enhance for camera: What looks perfect in person might photograph flat. Add extra dimension with highlighting and contouring—cameras eat definition.
Test your look: Do a trial run days before Halloween.
Take photos in different lighting to see what adjusts you need to make. Better to learn your makeup photographs too light now than on Halloween night.
Fix it digitally: Even the best makeup can benefit from photo editing. Adjust brightness so details show up, enhance colors that got washed out, smooth any areas that look patchy.
The best tool: Apps like Facetune let you perfect your Halloween photos without starting from scratch.
Brighten shadowy areas so costume details show up, enhance the colors of your makeup, smooth your base, and add final polish that makes your look absolutely flawless.
Final thoughts
Halloween 2025 is all about makeup that makes a statement.
Whether you're channeling Wicked's theatrical magic, Chappell Roan's drag artistry, or classic horror with modern techniques, the key is commitment.
Choose a look that excites you, gather your products, and give yourself time to play.
Remember: Halloween makeup doesn't have to be perfect—it has to be fun.
The slightly smudged eyeliner, the glitter that won't stay put, the face paint that cracks when you smile—it's all part of the experience.
Create something that makes you feel amazing, take a million photos, and own every second of it.
From simple halloween makeup you can do in 15 minutes to complex transformations that take hours, there's no wrong way to celebrate.
The best costume is the one that makes you feel like the main character—and this year, that starts with what you create on your face.
Ready to make Halloween 2025 unforgettable?
Start with the makeup, perfect it with the right tools, and own every moment.
